Archbishop speaks of hearing loss struggle as WHO calls for global action

The Archbishop of Wales has spoken of his own struggle with “debilitating and frustrating” hearing loss to mark World Hearing Day.

Archbishop John Davies instantaneously lost the hearing in one ear after an attack by a virus which also severely affected his balance for some time afterwards and has left him suffering from tinnitus. Even now, his balance is affected, though nowhere nearly as severely as at the time.

So, he says he has been “pretending for the past 25 years” to understand some conversations when the condition made it difficult, sometimes even impossible, to participate properly in them. "So you simply try to interpret what’s being said from facial expressions, or you simply have to ask people to repeat what they have said."

World Hearing Day 2021, a World Health Organisation (WHO) initiative, marked the launch of the World Report on Hearing, presenting a global call for action to address hearing loss and ear diseases.

The theme of the day was Hearing care for ALL! Screen. Rehabilitate. Communicate and the WHO is calling on policy makers across the globe to take action to prevent and address hearing loss.

Archbishop John said, "I became suddenly and unexpectedly deaf 25 years ago after contracting a virus and, because of the severe nerve damage I suffered, even the most sophisticated hearing aids have been unable to address the type of deafness I have.

“As well as affecting my balance it has left with tinnitus and it’s both debilitating and very frustrating.”

The Archbishop said his hearing loss made communication difficult in social interactions, and the use of face masks during the Covid-19 pandemic had exacerbated the problem.

“In social gatherings and meetings, or in a restaurant or a pub, if there’s more than one person speaking or there’s background noise, it's almost impossible to follow a detailed conversation or participate. I hear very little clearly, unless the person speaking is sitting next to me or opposite.

“Even at home, when we're watching TV or at dinner table and there’s more than one person speaking, I can't hear properly."

• One of the Archbishop’s Lent Appeal charities this year is Hearing Dogs for Deaf People, which trains hearing dogs which transform severely deaf people’s lives. You can find out more about the charity, and how to donate here.
• More information about World Hearing Day 2021